Yet Another Practically Perfect In Every Way
by Redmage2
Summary: WIP on hiatus When Spike confesses his love to Buffy, she runs into a demon who agrees to change Spike into the man she wants him to be... I've made some minor changes in all the chapters, but nothing big; you don't have to go back and reread
1. Kantayra's Challenge

The challenge, by Kantayra, that I'm responding to:  
  
#1. Practically Perfect In Every Way Requirements: Setting: Any time post-Crush. Pairing: B/S...although they need not end up together. You can tack on a potential S/Other pairing to increase the drama if you want, but the focus should be primarily B/S. Length: Whatever you want, but it'll probably have to be a longer fic to get in all the story requirements. Basic Plot Elements: 1. Buffy's been annoyed by Spike's advances lately and comments off- handedly something along the lines of "Everything would just be so much easier if he didn't love me."   
  
2. The person she makes this statement to is willing to grant her a romantic wish. (This person could be a vengeance demon or something else.)   
  
3. Buffy's wish is to make Spike the perfect man for her to love. She has to list off a whole bunch of things that she doesn't like about him (smoking, leather, bleach, sarcasm, vampireness, the crypt (if it's S5 or S6) - whatever; let her go crazy about things she'd change about him). She makes her wish, conveniently forgetting about the earlier I-don't-want-him- to-love-me part.   
  
4. Spike's changed! Everything that Buffy complained about has been fixed. One thing in particular - he has to be a really big hit with her friends now: Xander's best buddy, helping Willow with the magic, Giles with the research. Everyone loves him; he's one of the gang.   
  
5. Buffy falls in love with him. Only, when she tries to kiss him - whoops! - it turns out that he-doesn't-love-her part has come true as well. I want to see Spike give Buffy the "let's be friends" speech. Make it good. ~_^   
  
6. Now rejected, Buffy slowly comes to realize that, hey, she doesn't like a lot of other things she changed about him quite so much, either. In fact, she misses the real Spike. The message here: don't try to change the person you love.   
  
7. The ending's entirely up to you. Does Buffy get to take her wish back and get a happy ending? Or is she stuck with what she's got and it becomes major angst? Or something completely different altogether? Extras: 1. Give New!And!Improved!Spike an ultra-posh apartment complete with one of those huge, round beds. Buffy should be damn awed by the apartment.   
  
2. New!And!Improved!Spike criticizing Buffy for doing something that used to be one of the 'bad' habits of his that she removed.   
  
3. A game of pool. Preferrably with Xander involved.   
  
4. Buffy gets jealous of the fact that New!And!Improved!Spike is a better friend to the Scoobies than she is.   
  
5. Giles in neon-colored socks. There must be a reasonable explanation for this one.   
  
6. As much humor as you can manage - especially in showing how Spike's changed. 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing: Mutant Enemy and whoever else owns Buffy, but you'd think they'd at least let me have Spike! They're so mean to my Spike.  
  
Summary: Reading the challenge pretty much sums up the story, so.  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
Oh, how she wished she could beat up Spike with a clear conscious! Even after what he'd done to her, she still felt bad about hitting him more than once. It wasn't like he could fight back. Ugh! Poor Xander. It wasn't really fair to him that she took out her anger and frustration by beating things up and that he was really the only one around during the day that she could spar with besides Giles. It was all Spike's fault, thought Buffy as she walked into the store from the training room. Why did was he fixated on her? For a second, she thought about how Riley might have explained things from a psychological standpoint, but that just brought up two things she didn't want to think about: psychology and Riley. She really was doing better since he'd left, and she wasn't having any more impromptu crying fits like she'd right after he left. In fact, she hadn't even thought of Riley for days. It figured that Spike would be the cause of her current line of thinking. Suddenly, she realized that Anya was talking to her, apparently actually trying to cheer her up. Oops, she really should have been listening.  
  
"I'm sorry, Anya, I just kind of zoned out there. What were you saying?" asked Buffy, desperately trying to bring her mind out of the rut it had been in. Thinking of Riley almost always made her want to start crying.  
  
"I was just saying that when I was a vengeance demon, I could have helped you out. There could have been blood, and gore, and missing organs. Not that I would do anything like that any more," Anya hastened to reassure Xander and Giles, who were looking at her a little oddly. "It's just that Buffy looked like she could use a little vengeance."  
  
"Thanks, Anya," Buffy replied, strangely touched by the ex-demon's concern. "I'm just glad it's night so I can go patrol. I feel like hitting something other than Xander."  
  
"You hit Xander?" Anya's screech made Buffy wince. "You better not have broken him! If he's not good for-"  
  
"I'm fine, An," Xander quickly reassured his girlfriend before she starting discussing their orgasms in front of everyone.  
  
"Oh. Well. Good, I guess. Why don't you can go kill things that aren't Xander?" Anya asked.  
  
"Yeah, I think I'll go do that. I'll see you guys tomorrow, k?" Buffy walked out of the Magic Box toward the nearest non-Spike inhabited cemetery. The last thing she wanted was to run into him again.  
  
As she walked, Buffy ran the comments that Anya had made over in her mind. Vengeance. Hm. Well, she wasn't so sure if she really wanted vengeance on Spike. After all, she could do that if she wanted to all by herself, but she still would feel guilty.  
  
With a groan, she kicked a rock on the sidewalk. Thinking about this was getting her nowhere. Out loud, she voiced her frustration to the night. "If only that moron hadn't gotten it into his head that he loved me! Things would be so much simpler if he didn't."  
  
Ok so that didn't help either. Sighing, Buffy shifted her thoughts back to vengeance, not noticing the woman walking next to her, who had heard her last statement. Maybe she wouldn't wish vengeance on Spike, but changes instead. She wondered if there were any demons that would just change people.  
  
"Actually, there are," the perky voice snapped Buffy out of the daze quickly.  
  
"Huh?" Buffy looked up to see a strange woman looking at her cheerfully. "What are you talking about? Actually there are what?"  
  
"Demons who change people. You want someone changed, right? Well, I can help," the woman offered matter-of-factly.  
  
"Well, I don't think I actually want-"  
  
"Yes you do, otherwise you wouldn't be thinking about it so strongly that I could pick up on it halfway across the country," the demon interrupted. "Just think of how much easier your life would be if that guy was different. You name it; I'll change it."  
  
For a moment, Buffy just looked at the women in front of her. She almost started laughing at how ridiculous the woman was, coming to a Slayer.a Slayer who was actually considering her offer.  
  
Suddenly, Buffy started thinking about how much easier life would be if Spike was just one of the normal Scoobies. Human, helpful, not annoying. Biting her lip, Buffy considered the demon's offer.  
  
"Well, maybe." the woman waited patiently for Buffy to think. When she nodded slightly, the woman handed her a little red ring from around her finger. Buffy stared at it a moment before realizing that this was what would cause her wish to become reality. Before she could talk herself out of making what was probably a huge mistake, Buffy started her list.  
  
"Ok, first of all, Spike would be human, with a soul. Well, a soul, but not the guilt over his vampire past; I wouldn't want him just sitting around brooding, as funny as that would be. Only Spike wouldn't brood, he'd drink. Ok, ideal Spike wouldn't drink, either. Or smoke, or have that stupid all-black look. The new Spike wouldn't steal, or lie, or cheat, either. He'd listen to real music, not that punk crap that he listens to now. He'd have a fashion sense, and he would definitely get rid of that duster. God, what is it with that thing! Hmm, what else to change.Oh! He'd get rid of all the chains and stuff lying around his crypt; make it look like a normal person lives there. Although not too many normal people live in cemeteries. Oh, well. I guess I'd still want him to have his vamp abilities; you know, strength, healing, senses, just not the actual being a vamp. That would mean that the others might like him, too. Yeah, make sure he actually wants to help us, and gets along, without that annoying attitude of his. He shouldn't actually look for fights, or be mean to people. Oh, and he wouldn't call us those stupid names he made up, and he wouldn't swear or use British words that nobody but Giles can understand. Wow, I think that's just about everything."  
  
Buffy stopped to think, but cut off the demon just before she was about to speak. "No! Wait, he can't have that stupid hair! I want it to look like it did when he was a human."  
  
After seeing the demon look at her again, as if waiting for Buffy to think up another characteristic for her to change, Buffy looked slightly embarrassed before saying, "Yeah, that's really all this time. Sorry."  
  
"I cannot change him unless you wish it," the demon said impatiently. "I thought, being the Slayer, you would realize that."  
  
"Huh?" Buffy looked blankly at the demon for a second before she realized what the woman had said. "Oh, right. I have to WISH it. Wait, before I do, I want to at least know your name."  
  
Barely suppressing a sigh of annoyance, the woman said, "Lamarassa. Now, do you wish for your changes in him or not?"  
  
"Ok, uh, I wish for everything that I said to you about Spike to be true," Buffy said quickly, before she could change her mind and realize how stupid she was being. How stupid she was being because of Spike! This was all his fault, anyway.  
  
"Done. Spike is changed." The woman nodded briefly at Buffy and took her ring back from the girl's limp hand, before looking around and disappearing when she saw there was no one present to see her unconventional exit.  
  
As she watched the woman disappear, the reality of the situation hit Buffy like the proverbial ton of bricks.  
  
"Oh, crap!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:  
  
Walking slowly back down the street toward the Magic Box, the same thought ran over and over through Buffy's head. "Oh, no. What have I done?"  
  
Pausing just before entering the store, Buffy suddenly shook her head and walked rapidly away. She'd deal with telling Giles later. She just wasn't in the mood for a lecture right now. God, what had she been thinking! When she was listing off all of the things she would change about Spike, she hadn't *actually* been thinking that they would become real changes. Groaning, Buffy realized that she had just been thinking out loud, and that stupid demon-what was her name? Oh, yeah, Lamarassa-had just been in around to hear her.  
  
"Stupid demons," Buffy grumbled as she walked to the nearest cemetery.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
With a start, Spike jerked awake in his crypt. He breathed in a sudden gasp of air and immediately started coughing. What the-? Since when did he cough? For that matter, since when COULD he cough?  
  
After he stopped coughing, Spike glared around the crypt, trying to find the reason for his sleep's disturbance. His eyes widened as he saw his surroundings. The ratty armchair he had fallen asleep in was now an overstuffed recliner sitting next to its twin in front of an entertainment center. He was still in his crypt, but now the place looked like it could have been used as a model for one of those magazines on interior design! Spike frowned slightly. He recognized that his surroundings were different, but they didn't seem strange. This wasn't what had awakened him.  
  
Straining his senses, he felt to see if there was someone else in the crypt besides him. No, he was alone. He could only hear one heartbeat-  
  
Wait-heartbeat? He didn't have a heartbeat!  
  
Placing a hand on his chest, Spike realized that, yes, he did indeed have a heartbeat now. Looking down at his hand, Spike saw that the clothes he was wearing were not the clothes that he had fallen asleep in. Instead, he was wearing blue jeans and light blue button down shirt. However, as Spike looked at his clothing, he realized that nothing-not even his heartbeat- really felt out of place, just different.  
  
After thinking for a moment, Spike stood up and strode out of the door toward the Magic Box. If anyone knew about the recent changes in his unlife-wait, make that in his life-it would be one of the Scoobies.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Giles looked up as the bell on the Magic Box's door rang. The others had gone home for the evening, and he was straightening up some of the books in the back until Buffy checked back in. Instead of Buffy, however, there was now a young man with blondish-brown hair standing in the middle of the store, looking for someone to speak to. Straightening, Giles moved to go down the ladder, speaking as he walked.  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry, but the Magic Box has closed for the day. If you would like to come back tomorrow, I'm sure we can help you with whatever you're looking for."  
  
Frowning, Spike looked at Giles, wondering why the man didn't recognize him. "Rupert? You ok, mate? 'S me, Spike."  
  
With that proclamation, Giles almost fell off the bottom rung of the ladder. Whirling around, Giles looked intently at the man in front of him. He was wearing all blue, had different hair, and he wasn't even wearing the duster. But he was unquestionably Spike. As he looked at the drastically changed vampire, Giles said the only thing he could think of.  
  
"Dear lord."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: My thanks to Emmylou and Mita427 for their reviews!  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
Despite her resolve not to see him, by the end of her patrol, Buffy found herself in front of Spike's crypt. She hesitated slightly before entering the crypt, trying to decide whether or not to knock before entering. She was still freaked out by the incident in the basement with Drusilla. On the other hand, she didn't want Spike to think she knew anything about his being human. If she acted differently, he might get suspicious.  
  
"Oh, hell!" Buffy thought of how ridiculous she was being-this was SPIKE, for God's sake-and she stormed into the crypt in her usual manner, the door flying open. As soon as she walked in, her mouth dropped open in shock. The previously bare, dusty crypt was completely renovated. Although the basic layout was the same, everything was upgraded. The place looked like a real apartment!  
  
It took Buffy almost a full five minutes to get over her shock at the crypt's appearance. She wandered around, wondering why he had redecorated and who he had stolen all of his new furniture from before she remembered her wish. That thought sobered her up considerably, and she started looking around for the reason she had come to the crypt in the first place. He obviously wasn't at home. With a sigh, Buffy decided to check back in with Giles before going home for the night. Willow and Tara would probably want off Dawn-duty by now. With one final look around the drastically changed crypt, Buffy left, pulling the door shut behind her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Buffy walked into the Magic Box, the bell above the door chiming its usual too-cheerful greeting. She stopped short, seeing Giles and a strange man at the table, books spread all over the place. Both were researching heavily. As she walked in, Giles looked up at her, seemingly about to speak.  
  
"Giles! Oh, my God! What's wrong? Did you find something about Glory? Is everyone ok? What about Dawn!? What happened?" Buffy stayed glued to the spot on the floor, worst-case scenarios involving Glory torturing her little sister springing into her mind.  
  
"Buffy! Calm down! This has nothing to do with Glory," Giles spoke up when Buffy paused to take a breath. Buffy noticed that the other man at the table was still engrossed in his book.  
  
"Oh. Sorry, I just saw all the books and I freaked. What's up then?" Buffy asked, cheerful once more. "And who's your friend?"  
  
"Uh, Buffy. Hi," Giles's friend looked up almost bashfully. Buffy's mouth dropped open and she froze in shock.  
  
"Spike?" she asked in disbelief. Before this moment, even after seeing his crypt, Buffy hadn't truly considered the possibility that her wish had made Spike human. What if he was angry? What if he knew it was her? Oh, this was not good.  
  
"Look, I know you're probably not happy to see me, especially after that.incident.with Dru, but I didn't know you'd be in tonight, and I kind of needed Giles's help with research," Spike started, obviously uncomfortable with the situation.  
  
"Uh, no, Spike, that's ok. What happened? I didn't know you were here," Buffy trailed off, looking at Spike with confusion. He looked like he was actually working; helping Giles do research. Of all the things he could be doing and all the places where she would have thought Spike would be, The Magic Box wasn't even on the list. She had expected him to be at Willy's or out picking a fight with some random demon. Then she remembered. This Spike wouldn't do that-he didn't drink and he didn't fight just for the fun of it. Oh. "And what happened to your hair?" she asked as an afterthought.  
  
"Uh, I dunno. I just woke up this way-human. What's wrong with my hair?" Spike frowned, and tried to look up at his hair, without success.  
  
Buffy laughed and Spike's efforts and his puzzled expression. Walking over to the table, Buffy surprised herself, Giles, and Spike by grabbing Spike's wrist and dragging him towards the bathroom. Spike followed behind her, trying to figure out what had just happened. He had chained Buffy up to a wall, declared his love for her, and threatened to feed her to his ex-girlfriend. And she hadn't taken it very well. Now, she was laughing and practically holding his hand. He had no idea where she was taking him, either. The bathroom? What the-?  
  
"Look in the mirror!" Buffy, still laughing, pushed Spike into the bathroom.  
  
Spike was about to protest that he couldn't look in the mirror when he looked up. With a gasp, Spike looked at himself for the first time in over one hundred years.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Once again, thanks to the wonderful people who've reviewed me: BebeluvSpikey, Emmylou, Cecilia All BloodyMMM, carl, and Michelle. I feel all special! Yay! Anyway, back to the story.  
  
Chapter 4:  
  
Buffy left Spike in the bathroom after a few minutes to make faces at himself and get over the novelty of actually being able to see what he looked like. She smiled to herself as she walked to the table where Giles had books spread out all over. Who would have thought that such a self- proclaimed evil, Big Bad vampire-or rather, ex-vampire-would find looking at himself in the mirror so amusing? Maybe she wouldn't tell Giles about Lamarassa just yet. Spike seemed to be enjoying himself so much. He had never seemed truly happy in all the time she'd known him. Of course, the only time he had probably been so happy was when he was out killing innocents, and thankfully she hadn't really known him then.  
  
As she walked up to the table where Giles was once again hard at work, Buffy made her decision; she wasn't going to tell anyone about her wish. Although she hadn't *exactly* thought things through before making the wish, it wasn't as if the world was ending because of it. Smiling brightly at Giles, Buffy sat down at the table.  
  
"Finding anything?" she asked.  
  
"Well, no, I'm afraid not. I've never heard of anything like this happening before. There is simply no precedent for a vampire being turned into a human, combined with the other changes that Spike has reported. We were looking into it before you came back, but not having any luck." Giles looked up at Buffy for the first time since she sat back down. "Um, where exactly is Spike right now?"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Buffy replied, "He's making faces at himself in the mirror. He's just like a little kid."  
  
"Well, I must say that you seem to like Spike more as a human than you did before. Your reaction is considerably different than that from the training room earlier. And I must say, I seem to be getting along better with Spike as well. I wonder if that was one of the side effects of whatever happened to him." With that, Giles dove back into full-fledged research mode, barely sparing a glance when Spike returned to researching with a large smile on his face.  
  
Almost an hour later, Buffy stretched and yawned. Looking down at her watch, she gave a start. "Oh, my god! I was supposed to be back over an hour ago! Dawn's going to freak! Not to mention Willow and Tara! I've got to go. I'll see you guys in the morning?" Buffy barely paused to wait for Giles's nod before she took off toward her home.  
  
After Buffy had gone, Spike noticed how Giles was still deeply engrossed in his reading. "Hey, Giles. Time to go home, mate. How 'bout I walk you there before I turn in? The books'll still be here tomorrow," Spike offered.  
  
Giles looked up at Spike, surprised. The ex-vampire had been surprisingly nice to him all evening. But now, he wondered. Spike could simply be looking for a chance to get him alone on the streets to see if the chip had stopped working. Giles almost panicked for a moment at the thought of Spike returning to his previous lifestyle. Reality reasserted itself; Spike was a human now, and even if he wanted to continue killing, vampires could simply kill him. Or turn him again. Taking a deep breath, Giles realized that he could talk to Spike on the way home and hope that the other man had no intention of harming him. After all, he could have done so at any time this evening, and he hadn't.  
  
"Oh, um, sorry, I just was thinking of something for a moment. If you don't mind, I probably should be going back. You're free to come with me if you'd like," Giles offered when he suddenly realized that he had been silent for too long. "We can talk on the way, if you don't mind."  
  
"No, 's fine with me. Let's go before it gets any later. 'S gonna be strange to go out with the sun up tomorrow." Spike rose from the table along with Giles and the two men walked out the door together, Giles taking a moment to close the store before heading toward his home.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:  
  
As soon as Buffy got in the door to her house, she was besieged with questions. Willow and Tara were at the door immediately, concerned that something unusual and possibly Glory-related had occurred while she was on patrol. Dawn came down the stairs, looking slightly annoyed at being awakened, but curious as to what was going on. Motioning for them all to be quiet, Buffy quickly explained her run-in with the now human Spike.  
  
Dawn seemed as happy for Spike as Buffy was, and went to bed after the older girls warned her not to wake her mother. Tara and Willow, on the other hand, were far more concerned about the situation.  
  
"What if he can hurt us, Buffy? You can't kill humans, but he maybe he can now. What if he starts killing people, in daylight this time?" Willow was the first to voice her concern. Tara nodded slightly, although she seemed more likely to simply accept the fact that Spike's personality had changed as well.  
  
"Oh. I hadn't thought of that," said Buffy, stunned for a moment. She hadn't said anything specifically in her wish about killing humans, or about the chip. She was fairly certain Spike wouldn't start killing, since she had wished for him to have a soul, but she had no idea whether or not the chip was still present. Thinking aloud, she said, "Well, I guess if he starts hurting people, we can turn him over to the police. I don't think either Giles or Spike thought about the chip, and I know I didn't either. I don't think he's going to try anything, though."  
  
"It'll be interesting to see him in the day," remarked Tara.  
  
Willow looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, and as a human, too. It's all just so weird. Maybe Tara and I can do some spells on him to see if we can figure out what made him human. And, oh! Maybe a truth spell to see about his intentions!" Willow was getting excited at the prospect of a possible test subject for her magic, and didn't notice how Buffy froze when she mentioned using a spell to find out what had made Spike human.  
  
"Well, you two should go home and get some sleep. I'm so sorry for not coming home earlier, I just got all caught up in the research spirit. But I am tired now. I'll see you guys tomorrow, right?" Buffy tried desperately not to show the anxiety she felt about Willow using magic on Spike. The other two girls were both tired, so they rose, and saying their goodbyes, they left.  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Buffy went upstairs, and after checking on her mother and Dawn, went to bed at last.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
By the time they were halfway to Giles's house, Giles had still not said anything to Spike since leaving the store. Instead, he kept glancing sideways at Spike when he thought the other man wasn't looking. Finally, Spike caught Giles's eye and asked in an exasperated voice, "What is it, Rupert? You keep eying me like I'm gonna bite you. I can't do that anymore, remember?"  
  
Slightly embarrassed at being caught, Giles took off his glasses and began their cleaning ritual before responding to Spike's question. "Uh, I was wondering.first of all, is your chip still working?"  
  
"I haven't checked," Spike responded, surprised. To be honest, he hadn't even thought of the chip before Giles had brought it up. "Maybe I can try it on Buffy tomorrow."  
  
"Er, yes, that would be good. What will you do if it has stopped working?"  
  
Spike was hurt at what the Watcher was implying, and his tone reflected that fact. "I hadn't thought about that, either. What does Xander do? Thought maybe I could help out. Guess I don't have to if you don't want me, but-"  
  
"Oh, you're perfectly welcome to join us. I just didn't know what you were planning, or if maybe you wanted to be, um, turned again," Giles finished quickly, for some reason feeling bad about hurting Spike's feelings.  
  
"Of course I don't want to be turned again! Why would I want that?" Spike asked incredulously. Shaking his head in disbelief, he picked up the pace a little.  
  
Giles sped up a little as well, and put a hand on Spike's arm. "I apologize for upsetting you. I just wanted to make sure that you didn't intend to hurt anyone. I-"  
  
Neither of them had been paying attention to their surroundings, and the young vampire seemed to come out of nowhere, thinking it had found two simple males for its evening meal. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Spike immediately took on the fledgling. After exchanging a few blows, Spike shouted at Giles for a weapon, and caught the stake that Giles threw at him effortlessly, plunging it into the vampire's heart. Giles looked at Spike in amazement. The ex-vampire had just finished off the fledgling almost as quickly and as well as Buffy would have.  
  
"Now, where were we?" Spike had continued walking after his performance, leaving Giles to once again catch up to him, right before the doors to his house.  
  
"Uh, I was just, um, apologizing for questioning your motives. I'm sure you understand that one must be thorough," Giles said before going up the walk to his door.  
  
Spike remained in the driveway, nodding. "Yeah, 's okay, Rupert. You can't just take people at face value. I should'a realized it. Have a good night." Turning, Spike walked back to his crypt in silence, without incident. Inside the crypt, he decided to enjoy the best comfort of his newly remade home; sleeping on a real bed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Xander and Anya slept peacefully through the night after the latter had ensured that the former had no injuries from sparring earlier with Buffy...  
  
TBC... 


	7. Chapter 6

Summary: I guess I may need one of these now, so.after running into the demon who changed Spike to fit Buffy's wishes, she comes back from patrol to find Giles researching with Spike to find out what turned him into a human. Spike walks Giles home, stakes a vampire just as fast as he used to, and assures Giles that he doesn't want to hurt any of the Scoobies or become a vampire again.  
  
A/N 1: I am SO sorry for the REALLY long delay. And, just to warn you, there probably won't be another chapter for maybe a couple of weeks (finals, and recovery time). But, I haven't forgotten you!  
  
A/N 2: To those who have reviewed me, thanks for all the support!  
  
A/N 3: Just because I really don't want to worry about Glory taking Spike and torturing him just when things are getting interesting, I think I'm going to be moving the Glory part of the season back a ways to concentrate on Buffy and Spike. So, for my purposes, Buffy and Giles know that Glory wants Dawn, but other than her basic presence, Glory isn't really a problem.  
  
And now...  
  
Chapter 6  
  
It was early afternoon by the time everyone-including Dawn, who was excited to see what Spike looked like as a human-had gathered at the Magic Box. Giles and Anya had been there all day, but the others were just coming in. Xander, last to arrive, made a beeline for his girlfriend behind the counter, and tried to convince her to go down into the basement with him.  
  
"Not now, Xander," Anya scowled lightly at her boyfriend. "Giles says that something really important is going on, but he won't tell me what. I want to know now." Raising her voice so it carried across the store to Giles, she said "You can tell me know, everyone's here!"  
  
"Uh, actually Anya, we need to wait for Spike," Giles said.  
  
Xander stopped trying to herd Anya into the basement and frowned. "Spike? Why do we *want* Spike here? Oh! Are we going to do a public staking?"  
  
"Oh, you didn't know? I thought everybody must have heard by now," said Willow, eyes wide. "I can't wait to see Xander's face when-"  
  
The front door to the Magic Box swung open, revealing Spike, who was now wearing another pair of tight-fitting blue jeans and a light grey sweater. Buffy's eyes widened. She had no idea how much Spike's wardrobe would change how she looked at him. Or maybe it was the hair. Looking at Spike was now like looking at a completely different person. She smiled. That was what she had wished for, after all.  
  
Anya looked at Giles, then at Spike, who was striding into the store. Irritated that she was the one who would have to tell the customer to go away, since everyone else was just staring at him, Anya spoke up. "Excuse me, but the Magic Box is closed for the day, but you and your money can come back tomorrow morning."  
  
Spike rolled his eyes, then said. "Sorry I'm late, I had to go shopping."  
  
Xander's eyes widened and he started spluttering, until Anya cut him off. "I thought you were a customer. You changed your hair. And yes, we were waiting for you." Pausing, she added, "And you're walking outside while it's light out."  
  
"Right perceptive of you, Anya. Woke up last night as a human. That's what this is about," Spike said, as he waved his arm to the research table that was already filling with books. "If you have any other plans, I don't want to get in the way. 'M sure I can do fine with whatever help you lot can give me." Spike addressed the whole group. "Not that big a deal, really, 's just that 'm rather curious as to why I woke up as a human. Rupert an' I were talkin' last night, so I just wanna clear a few things up with you lot. One, I didn't ask for this, but I'm not gonna go around lookin' for someone to turn me again. Two, I don't know if the chip's still working or not. 'M willin' to try it out to see if it does though. An' last, if you want me to stick around an' help, 'll do what I can. Don't wanna hurt any of you either." Looking at Giles, who had nodded slightly at each point, Spike turned his attention back to the rest of the Scoobies who were all staring at him with varying degrees of disbelief. "If any of you 'ave any other questions, go ahead an' ask."  
  
"Are you going to try to kill me?" Xander asked quickly.  
  
Spike looked at him. "No. Don't even know if I could, but even so, I wouldn't."  
  
Willow spoke up next. "So you have no idea how you became human?"  
  
Spike shook his head. Inwardly, he was coming to the realization that this was going to be a loooooong afternoon.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After sitting through a half hour Q & A session with Spike, during which she didn't say much, Buffy was getting extremely bored. Suddenly she perked up. She had wished that Spike could retain his vampire abilities, and they still had to test to see if the chip worked. Maybe he could spar with her. Anything to get away from the boredom. Even though Spike had changed, Buffy was sure she would still enjoy beating him up.  
  
"Hey, how about I try to see if Spike's chip is working?" Buffy called out. "I still need to train this afternoon, and if it isn't, then he can train with me."  
  
Giles looked up from his book. "Yes, that we do need to find out about the chip. Spike, if you don't mind, would you?"  
  
"Sure thing, Rupert," Spike said easily as he stood up and followed Buffy into the training room. It was a signal of how much Spike's attitude had changed that not even Xander protested that Spike would try to kill Buffy or try something with her. He seemed to be getting along well with everyone now.  
  
"C'mon, Spike," Buffy said nearly as soon as she entered the training room. "Hit me! God, it was getting so boring out there! How could you stand it?"  
  
Spike shrugged. "'Ve done a lot to them in the past, so I can see why they don't want to trust me right off. You sure about this, Buffy?"  
  
"Yeah, I really need to hit something, so I kind of hope your chip isn't working. But, you get the first hit, just to make sure," Buffy said charitably. "C'mon!"  
  
After hesitating a moment more, Spike threw a quick punch to her shoulder, then tensed immediately, expecting pain. It didn't come. Worried, he looked up at Buffy. "Look, I know you must'a been worried about this. But I won't go after you or your mates, I promise. 'f you want me to leave, I can go now." He looked like he was about to head out the door.  
  
"What? No, Spike, it's ok. I've gotten tired of beating up Giles, anyway. He told me you staked a vamp last night when you walked him home, just as fast as you used to when you were, well, a vampire. Do you think you can handle sparring? I mean, do you still feel like you did when you were a vampire, when you fight?" Buffy started rambling after she remembered that she wasn't supposed to know that he still had all his vampire ablilities.  
  
Frowning slightly, Spike considered. Finally, he spoke. "Well, I don't know 'f I'm still as strong as I was. I the only way to find out is to fight. You can go ahead and hit me. Even if I don' have my old strength, I probably deserved it for some of the stuff I did before."  
  
Buffy grinned. Just the answer she wanted to hear. Beating up on Spike was always fun, and now that he could fight back, the fight would be even better. Spike took off his sweater, leaving a white t-shirt on underneath, and waited for Buffy to attack. As the two started sparring, however, she noticed that Spike didn't seem to be fighting back like he had before the chip. It was like his heart wasn't in the fight.  
  
After twenty minutes, Xander stuck his head in the training room. "So, I take it the chip's not working anymore?" When he received two nods in conformation, he continued, seeming only slightly nervous. "Well, as long as you're not gonna try to kill us, I'm not gonna try to kill you. But I'm watchin' you!" Buffy rolled her eyes at Xander's dramatics, but Spike just nodded. "Well, we're getting ready to go to The Bronze. You guys up for it?"  
  
"Sure! Just give me a few to get ready, ok?" Spike pulled on his sweater and left the room behind Xander, who started giving Spike a hard time about wearing a sweater to fight in. Spike left, promising to change before he showed up at The Bronze.  
  
Buffy was left alone in the training room pondering the changes from the past day. Spike seemed a lot more distant with her than he had been, but it seemed that he just felt bad about that stupid stunt he pulled with Drusilla. That was probably why he hadn't been fighting very well either; he didn't want to piss her off when he thought she was already upset with him. Buffy frowned. The one time he would use common sense would be the time she wanted a good fight to relieve some tension. Oh, well. At least the gang seemed to be warming to Spike well enough. With a sigh, Buffy gave the punching bag one last kick before leaving, thinking hopefully that maybe something would turn up on patrol after The Bronze.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Up next, Bronzing!  
  
TBC. 


	8. Chapter 7

Summary: Buffy made a wish that changed some things about Spike: he's now human, his crypt was redecorated, he dresses normally, doesn't listen to punk music, drink, smoke, lie, cheat, steal, or swear, he actually gets along with all of the Scoobies and helps them, and his hair has reverted to its original color. He also doesn't love Buffy anymore, but she doesn't know this. Everyone knows about the changes and they are starting to like him better.  
  
A/N: If you were reading the summary and thinking that you didn't remember some of Spike's changes, you were right-I made a couple more changes I thought be relevant...I should have thought of it when I was writing the first chapter, but oh, well.  
  
A/N 2: Sorry again for the long wait. Finals are over and I'm home for the summer, so chapters SHOULD be more regular. No promises though... Thank you all for your patience, and for the great reviews! In penance for making you wait, I offer an (hopefully) nice, long chapter.  
  
Chapter 7:  
  
By the time Buffy had changed, dropped Dawn off at a friend's house, and arrived at The Bronze, Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara, and Spike were already there. She watched them from across the room for a minute before joining them. They all looked happy. Everyone was laughing at some joke, and although Spike seemed more reserved than anyone besides Tara, he looked like he was having fun, too. Hopefully they would all work as well together as they were getting along right now. Especially with this new threat they knew so little about: Glory. Shaking her head, Buffy started toward the table again. This night was for fun, not for work.  
  
"Hey, Buff! You can sit here; Spike and I are just gonna go play some pool," Xander greeted Buffy as he and Spike left the table. As they left, Buffy frowned a little. Xander had never played pool with her. Come to think of it, aside from Tara, who was new to the group, Xander had played pool with everyone but her. And now Spike. Slightly put out, Buffy turned her attention back to the table, and the conversation that was inevitably about-what else?-Spike.  
  
"...and he's done lots of spells before; he just doesn't like to use magic to get things done. When he does, though, it *always* works. That spell that he used to heal Drusilla? It was really complicated, and we kind of interrupted it, but it still worked. He promised to help me with that sunshine spell that I tried a while ago, since it won't hurt him to be around when I'm casting it anymore," Willow enthused.  
  
"Wait-wasn't that the spell that gave us the giant troll?" Buffy interrupted, trying to make sure Willow wasn't going to summon any more large demons without her presence. "'Cause if you're doing that spell again, maybe I should be there too, just in case something gets conjured that shouldn't be here. And I'm not sure we should be looking to Drusilla's healing spell for pointers. It almost killed Angel."  
  
Willow looked hurt that Buffy would question her ability. "Look, I know I've done some stuff in the past that's been kinda bad, but I haven't done anything like that since the troll. I've been really careful. And if something does go wrong, Spike'll be there anyway, so he could help with that, too."  
  
While Willow spoke, Tara nodded in agreement before speaking. "I know I wasn't here when Spike cast that spell, but from what Willow told me it was really powerful black magic. We won't be trying anything like that, but she was using it as an example because the energies that he was taking from A-Angel could have been let loose when you interrupted the spell, but he kept control of them, so that was good..." Tara trailed off after her explanation.  
  
Buffy just looked confused as she listened to Tara's explanation. When she was done, Buffy quickly jumped in with an apology to Willow. "Oh, Will, I wasn't saying that something would go wrong! I know you're a great witch! I just forgot that somebody else can take care of these things now. I'm sure you can get the spell right next time," Buffy managed to refrain from telling the girls about how she had kicked Spike's ass in the training room earlier, not to mention during that healing spell they were so excited about. Since when would they rather have *Spike* protect and help them than her! She was the Slayer! And these were her friends, damn it!  
  
"Well, I know I won't be around during the sunshine spell again. That way we can't argue and end up with another one of my old, uh, projects here. That would not be pleasant," Anya said with extraordinary tact, but quickly spoiled the effect. "Did you notice how I didn't talk about all the things I did to men during my time as a vengeance demon? Xander helped a lot with what I should and shouldn't say, but Spike's helping me now too. He's in the same situation, but I notice that he never makes people uncomfortable by talking about things he's not supposed to. Of course, he hasn't been a human that long, so he could still do that, but he spent more time with humans while he was a demon, so maybe that helps. It's nice to have someone who I can relate to like that," Anya rambled out loud, not noticing the changing expressions of her companions until the end. "Oops, I did it again, didn't I? Well, pretend that I stopped after I talked about Olaf."  
  
Willow and Tara hid smiles. Buffy just looked surprised and annoyed that yet another one of her friends had found something that only Spike could do. Buffy looked over at Xander and Spike playing pool. It looked like Spike was winning, but he had had a long time to learn the game. He appeared to be a good sport, and it even seemed like he was giving Xander pointers on how to make some of the tougher shots.  
  
With a sigh, Buffy turned her attention back to the table. At least she was still included in the group and they hadn't turned to Spike and completely left her behind. She gave a mental snort. Like that would happen. They were still her friends, she would just have to learn to share. It's not like it was Spike's fault; technically, it was hers. Just as Buffy completed her new, positive assessment of the situation, Willow and Tara got up to dance, and Anya went over to the pool table to persuade Xander onto the dance floor.  
  
Sighing again, Buffy went over to the bar to get a drink.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Xander was losing to Spike, but not as badly as he could be. He had only one ball left on the table when Spike sank the eight ball. Part of his success was due to the fact that he was a pretty good pool player, part because he suspected Spike was going easy on him, and partially because Spike was giving him tips on how to line up some tough banked shots.  
  
So, when the game was over, Xander conceded the victory to Spike charitably. They sat and talked for a few minutes about nothing in particular, and Xander realized how nice it was to have a guy friend who seemed like he was the same age. True, Spike was over a century older than him, but he seemed to have the mentality of someone in his twenties.  
  
Anya came over to the table and started to coax him onto the dance floor. "Come on, Xander. Willow and Tara are dancing, and I want to dance as well. We can...uh, we can have fun dancing to the nice, loud music!" Anya censored herself and looked at Xander expectantly.  
  
"Sure, Ahn, I'm up for some dancing," Xander agreed, nodding to Spike as he got up to leave with Anya.  
  
"You should go dance with Buffy. She looks depressed. I think she's thinking of Reilly, or something," Anya told Spike as she left with Xander.  
  
After Anya and Xander left, Spike looked around for Buffy. She wasn't sitting at the table. He scanned the crowd and saw her standing at the bar. She did look depressed, Spike noted. While he certainly wasn't going to dance with her, since she would probably think that he was obsessing over her again like he had been before he became human, he could go over and talk to her to see what was wrong.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Since Spike no longer registered with Buffy's Slayer-sense, he was able to catch her unawares. He practically materialized from the crowd at her elbow. "Uh, hi Buffy-"  
  
With a start, Buffy whirled around, running straight into Spike's chest. He quickly grabbed her arm to steady her, and after she backed up a step to see who she had run into, he let go.  
  
"Oh, Spike, I didn't hear come over here. Finish the game with Xander?" she asked distractedly, really noticing for the first time just how nice Spike looked. She didn't have much of an appreciation for the all- black look, aside from Angel. Dressed in regular jeans and a button-up green shirt, without the bleach job, Buffy realized that Spike was an attractive guy. Hm, she thought to herself, now that he isn't an evil vampire who might try to kill us, maybe I can actually notice who Spike really is. Suddenly she realized that Spike had been talking while she was thinking about how cute he was. Oops...  
  
"Sorry, Spike. I kinda zoned out there. What did you say?" Buffy quickly apologized when she saw him looking at her, waiting for a response.  
  
Looking unsure, Spike repeated himself. "I just thought you looked kind of sad, and I was wondering if you needed anyone to talk to."  
  
"Oh! No, really it's nothing big. Just seeing everybody else dancing is kinda making me-" Buffy faltered, not wanting to explain her feelings about Spike to him  
  
"Miss Reilly?" Spike finished for her.  
  
"Uh, yeah," Buffy said, latching onto a probable reason for her mood, while startled that he had brought up Reilly. Spike had always hated Reilly, but he had just brought him up without calling him "Captain Cardboard" or having a nasty edge to his voice. Maybe that was why she was going to do something as stupid as- "Spike? Do you want to dance?"  
  
Completely shocked, Spike opened his mouth for a second before actually speaking. When he did, he hesitated, hoping she didn't take his answer the wrong way. "Actually, I really don't like the music all that well tonight. Otherwise, I would, but I'm sorry, I just can't with this-" he waved his hand in the air "-noise." He stood looking at her, embarrassed for the situation she had just put herself into.  
  
Buffy blinked. Spike was refusing to dance with her. She would have thought he would jump at the chance. And what was wrong with the music? The Bronze had a live band which was playing mostly hard rock. While she normally didn't like this sort of music, it fit her mood tonight. Spike had always liked this sort of music...until she had wished that he didn't. Great. Well, change of plans. Killing things sounded like a nice form of therapy.  
  
"Do you want to go, then? I think I need to kill something," Buffy said with an expectant smile.  
  
Spike frowned a little at her statement, but replied, "Sure, we do need to patrol. I'll meet you outside."  
  
Buffy found Willow and Tara on the dance floor and told them she was leaving with Spike, and that she would see them in the morning. They nodded and waved, and she left The Bronze for the night.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
TBC... 


	9. Chapter 8

Summary: Buffy made a wish that changed some things about Spike: he's now human, his crypt was redecorated, he dresses normally, doesn't listen to punk music, drink, smoke, lie, cheat, steal, or swear, and his hair has reverted to its original color. He also doesn't love Buffy anymore, but she doesn't know this. Everyone loves the new Spike: Xander has a guy friend he can talk to, Anya has a former demon she can relate to, Willow and Tara have found someone to help them with spells, and Spike has helped Giles with research. Since he still has his vampire abilities, the gang also is willing to rely on Spike for protection. Buffy is jealous of the attention being paid to Spike, but (for once) she doesn't blame him. When we last saw Buffy, she was leaving The Bronze with Spike to find things to kill...  
  
A/N: See, I told you that you wouldn't have to wait as long! Yay!  
  
A/N 2: Sorry about the lack of dialogue in this chapter and the last one. There should be more in the next chapter. Thanks for your patience and kind reviews!  
  
Chapter 8:  
  
Buffy was getting more and more frustrated with each step. So far they had been to the alley behind The Bronze, the park, and one cemetery, and they hadn't seen a single vamp. Halfway through the second cemetery, she stopped Spike by a grave where Sunnydale's newest member of the undead would be waking up soon.  
  
"Since there is absolutely *nothing* out tonight, we can just wait for him to rise. But it won't be much of a challenge," Buffy commented.  
  
With a nod, Spike leaned up against a gravestone across from Mark Wilcox. He hadn't said much all evening, because he was unsure how to act around Buffy anymore. Her friends had been welcoming to him after about a half hour of questioning (after he had proved as well as he could that he didn't want to kill any of them) and Dawn had been thrilled immediately, and at one point had dragged him out into the sun just to see what he looked like in the light. But Buffy hadn't even seemed phased by his change into a human, although she treated him much differently than she did when he was a vampire. He could have understood her if she had just decided to hate him, or even if she had slowly accepted him. But with her sudden change of opinion, he had no idea what to do or say around Buffy anymore (if he ever had).  
  
While Spike was contemplating Buffy's attitude, Buffy was sitting on a stone next to his, studying him. In the dark, in a graveyard, he almost looked like he had before her wish. But he was a different person entirely; one who she didn't know how to act around. As she examined her actions toward Spike over the past day to figure out exactly who he was to her now, she realized that she had actually been flirting with him! With that thought, she stiffened and gasped. Spike looked over in alarm, thinking she had spotted something.  
  
Buffy looked over after a second to see Spike's wary face. Immediately, she blushed and thought quickly, "Uh, it's ok. I was just thinking of something I needed to do at home before my mom tries to do it herself."  
  
"You want to go home and take care of tha' right now? 'll take care of this guy 'f you need me to," Spike was instantly concerned. He liked Buffy's mother, and he had truly been worried about her since she became sick.  
  
"Oh, no. Thanks, though. I can take care of it when I get home. Mom won't be up then," Buffy lied, feeling guilty. Spike couldn't lie now, not even if he wanted to. Thankfully interrupting her somewhat guilty thoughts, Mark Wilcox finally decided to climb his way out of his grave right then, giving her something to focus on. Too bad he was just a fledgling.  
  
While Buffy waited patiently for Mark, her stake still in the waistband of her pants, she heard a noise coming from the trees across the way. With a grin, she saw Mark's vampire "family" had come to get him. Turning to Spike, she quipped, "And they say families don't function any more. You get him, I'll take them."  
  
With another silent nod, Spike turned to wait for Mark to finish digging his way out. Buffy took off at a run across the graveyard. She immediately staked the first vamp, and kicked the second one in the stomach. As the third approached, she grabbed him and sent him flying into the last of the gang, who looked like he was about to run away. As those two went down in a tangle of arms and legs, she quickly staked them through the back and the chest. The second vampire had gotten up and was about to run away when he noticed that he was the last one left.  
  
With an evil little grin, Buffy let loose on the unsuspecting vampire, releasing all her frustrations from the past three days. She didn't notice when the vampire stopped moving. When Spike had dusted the fledgling, he looked around for Buffy. He saw her on the ground, pummeling the vamp. As he watched, she finally stopped, and waited for him to get up before she started hitting him again. Worried slightly for her sanity, Spike ran over and grabbed Buffy around the waist and pulled her away from the collapsing vampire. With a wince of sympathy, he dusted the vamp quickly before turning to Buffy, who was staring at him with a strange expression on her face.  
  
Oh my God, I'm turning into Faith was the thought that was running through Buffy's head. Spike, SPIKE of all people had just stopped her from beating a vampire to his second death. And as she was looking at Spike, she remembered one of the first things Faith had told her and the Scoobies...Slaying made her hungry and horny. Oh, God! This was Spike! She had to get home now before she did something even more stupid. She hadn't realized how dumb her body was (That's right, Buffy, a sarcastic voice inside her head said, blame it on your body. You have nothing to do with it. Riiiiiiight.). She was really lusting after Spike.  
  
"Spike...I-I've got to go. I...I don't know what that was, but I'm going straight home. I think I need sleep. That's it. Lots and lots of sleep. Um, I'll probably see you tomorrow..." Buffy trailed off and whimpered "Oh, God," under her breath before running toward her house at a fully sprint, repeating the phrase "oh, God," over and over in her head.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
For several minutes after Buffy left, Spike stood in the pile of vampire dust trying to figure out what he should do about Buffy. She obviously wasn't well if she was beating vampires practically into pulps before staking them. But, he didn't want to just tell Giles without talking to Buffy first. And in her present state, he probably wouldn't get much out of Buffy. Eventually, Spike came up with what he felt was the best course of action. He would speak to Buffy tomorrow, and then he would inform Giles. He should know if his Slayer was acting oddly. And he *knew* Buffy wouldn't tell him on her own. Deep in thought about what he would say to each of them, Spike walked to his crypt to turn in for the evening.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I'm going to give Buffy a little time before she actually jumps Spike...but it's coming, don't worry.  
  
TBC... 


	10. Chapter 9

Summary: Buffy made a wish that changed some things about Spike: he's now human, his crypt was redecorated, he dresses normally, doesn't listen to punk music, drink, smoke, lie, cheat, steal, or swear, and his hair has reverted to its original color. He also doesn't love Buffy anymore, but she doesn't know that. Everyone in the Scooby gang has found something to like about the new Spike, and Buffy is starting to feel a little jealous, but she doesn't blame him, and has found that she kind of likes him too. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...  
  
A/N: Yeah, I know I said you wouldn't have to wait as long over the summer for chapters, but apparently I lied. I'm soooo sorry. :::grovels for forgiveness::: Unfortunately, I'll be out of town for a couple of weeks, so you won't be getting any new chapters for a while after this. Sorry. :::winces:::  
  
Chapter 9:  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*ONE WEEK LATER~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Buffy, behind you!" Spike shouted across the cemetery to his partner in slaying.  
  
"Thanks!" she called back as she kicked the demon who had tried to sneak up behind her in the stomach before kneeing it in the head. A few minutes of fighting later, and she was the only one in the cemetery still standing. "Spike! Spike?" Buffy started running to where she had last seen Spike fighting before he had disappeared around the corner of a mausoleum.  
  
"Ow. 'M all right, Buffy, just hit my head, 'sall," Spike said, leaning on the wall.  
  
"God, I was worried. Are you going to be ok?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Spike waved his hand, as if to make his injury disappear, then noticed that Buffy was looking at him with a shocked expression on her face. "Buffy? What, 'm I bleeding somewhere else? Buffy?"  
  
As Spike responded to her, Buffy suddenly realized just how worried about Spike she had been. She knew that over the past week she had come to like him as a friend, and she tried to think of him like she thought of Xander, but occasionally, she would slip into different thoughts about Spike. But now, as she stood in the cemetery looking at him, she realized just how much he had changed, and just how much he had become a part of her life, and in what way. Spike, of all people, was starting to fill the hole that Riley had left in her heart.  
  
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Buffy realized that Spike had been calling her name, and looked concerned. "No, Spike, I'm ok. I just...I just realized something."  
  
She took a step closer to Spike, who was still standing with his back against the mausoleum wall. Buffy lifted her hand to his face, bringing it down slightly so she could reach him. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Spike's. He stood, frozen with shock for a moment before trying to move away, but he couldn't. Inwardly wondering what was going on, he put his hands on Buffy's shoulders to push her away. Unfortunately, she took his movement as encouragement and moved closer. When she stopped to breathe, she looked up at his face and frowned.  
  
"Spike?" Buffy asked, suddenly nervous. He hadn't responded to her kiss at all, but he had to have a good reason, after all, she knew that he loved her.  
  
"Buffy, you sure you're ok?" Spike looked into her eyes, searching for any clue as to why Buffy was acting so strangely. Over the past week, he had started to relax around him, and treat him as a friend. He was now enjoying the friendship of all the members of the Scooby gang, and he thought things were getting back to whatever normal was in Sunnydale after his transformation. Apparently not.  
  
"I'm fine. I just...when I said I realized something, it was that I care about you, maybe as more than just a friend, and I said that really wrong, 'cause I suck at the whole word thing-" Buffy started babbling nervously trying to let Spike know that she was fine.  
  
"Whoa! Buffy, are you sayin' you care about me...like that?" Spike motioned to his mouth uncertainly. Surely that wasn't what she was trying to say...  
  
"Yes, I just realized it. I think I really care about you," Buffy said sincerely, then looked to Spike for a sign of any response.  
  
"Oh." Spike's mouth opened and he blinked a couple of times before he spoke again. "Look, Buffy, I know I used to feel that way about you, and I expressed it really," here, Spike winced, remembering the scene in his basement, "well, really badly. But whatever it was I felt, I...I don't love you anymore Buffy. I'm sorry." He paused for a moment, taking in her stunned expression and realizing she wasn't going to be saying any more any time soon. "I didn't say anything about it earlier, 'cause I didn't think you felt like that 'bout me. I should have said somethin' when I was talking 'bout all those other changes.  
  
"Buffy, I do like you. You're a good friend, an' I like doing things with you and the Scoobies. I think maybe it'd be best if we stayed friends. I'm sorry." With that, Spike hesitantly patted her on the shoulder and walked off toward his crypt.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


End file.
